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Series number: 1989 
Title: Photographic Description Books [Armidale Gaol] 
Start date: by 09 Aug 1894 
End date: 18 Jul 1915 
Contents start date: 09 Aug 1894 
Contents end date: 18 Jul 1915 

Descriptive note: The series was created in accordance with the 'Gaol Regulation' proclaimed in the NSW Government Gazette of 19 February, 1867. Amongst the records required to be created and maintained by the Gaoler of each prison was the 'Description Book' - Containing personal description, religion, and all other prescribed information of all prisoners received, in the same order as the Entrance Book' An index to the Description book was also required to be maintained. (1) Some prisons maintained description books prior to this regulation.

Photographing prisoners for inclusion in the description books commenced late in the Nineteenth centrury although it was not regulated until the mid Twentieth Century.

The role of description books was embedded into legislation with the passage of the Prisons Act, 1952 (Act No. 9, 1952) which stated "Every prisoner shall be liable to be photographed, to have the impression of his fingers and palms taken, and to have such details of his personal description as may be prescribed recorded" (2)

This series contains a photograph of each prisoner and the following information: number, prisoners’ name, aliases, date when portrait was taken, native place, year of birth, details of arrival in the colony - ship and year of arrival, trade or occupation, religion, degree of education, height, weight (on committal, on discharge), colour of hair, colour of eyes, marks or special features, number of previous portrait, where and when tried, offence, sentence, remarks, and details of previous convictions (where and when, offence and sentence).

There is an index in the front of the volume for NRS 1989/2/1.

End Notes:
(1) Supplement to the New South Wales Government Gazette 19 February, 1867 5.
(2) Prisons Act, 1952 s. 19
 

Home location: This series is held at Western Sydney Records Centre 
Format: Loose Papers 

Images:
None

Arrangement: Numerical and Chronological 
Bridging aids: This series is amongst those indexed in Index to the Gaol Photographs. 
Copies: State Records Microfilm Reel 5083. Available in both reading rooms 
Item control status: Item lists are available electronically 

Creating agency:
432 Armidale Gaol  09 Aug 1894 ~ 18 Jul 1915 

Current agency responsible:
1 Department of Prisons (1874-1970) Department of Corrective Services (1970 - )  

Preceding series:
1987 Description books [Armidale Gaol] starts 09 Aug 1894 

Succeeding series:
None

Related series:
1986 Entrance books [Armidale Gaol]  

Controlling series:
None

Controlled series:
None

Activities documented by this series:
2 Corrective Services  09 Aug 1894 ~ 18 Jul 1915 

Persons creating this series:
None

Record items in this series:
 Armidale Gaol Photographic Description Book  09 Aug 1894 ~ 04 May 1915 
 Armidale Gaol Photographic Description Book  16 Nov 1914 ~ 18 Jul 1915 

 
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